


A Breath Of Fresh Winter

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Abandonment Issues, Acceptance, And OFC's like 'wtf'?, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Established Relationship, F/M, First Meetings, Geeks are sexy, Gen, Half-jötunn OFC, I don't know what else to tag, I hate tags, Implied Sexual Content, Jötunn Loki, Loki Feels, Mild Sexual Content, OFC's a BAMF, OFC's a bit of a gutter mouth, Parent Loki, Parent-Child Relationship, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Loki, Protective OFC, Protective Steve Rogers, Self-Acceptance, Steve Does What He Can, Tony's A Real Bro, Understanding OFC, fuck hydra, shameless flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-23
Updated: 2015-11-28
Packaged: 2018-05-03 02:05:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5272472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One night in Agsard, a drunken Amora confesses to Thor about having birthed a child after a careless night of loveless passion with Loki two decades ago and having sent her away to Midgard to avoid the shame of it. With his quickly informed brother in tow, Thor returns to the realm of mortals to look for his niece; only to find she was much closer than he would've expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really need to stop dreaming....
> 
> This is set after TDW, but that's as specific as I'm gonna get; I still have no idea how many things from movie canon I'm gonna change or disregard altogether.

    Loki stood perfectly still, hands clasped behind his back, staring at his brother, his face completely blank even as his mind was reeling at what he’d just been told. Thor, on the other hand, shifted his weight from one foot to the other, waiting for _some_ kind of reaction to the words he had just spoken.

 

    There had been a feast that night to celebrate a successful hunt; Thor had left the hall to get some air when he was approached by a clearly drunk Amora, who went off on a rant about how he was wasting time with a mortal when he could have her instead. He hadn’t been paying her much mind, until she said something about how far she’d go and what she would give up for him. His curiosity piqued, he had asked her what she meant by that, and was rewarded with a confession that had shocked him and sent him straight to his brother’s chambers, where Loki was confined.

 

    “Did you hear me, brother?” Thor finally asked, breaking the silence.

 

    “Of course I heard you; I haven’t gone deaf,” Loki replied almost tonelessly. “Do you truly expect me to believe any words that fall from that harpy’s lips?”

 

    “Why would she lie about something like this?”

 

    “Why would she confess to it, especially to you?” Loki countered, “She is obsessed with you; why would she risk harming her delusion that you would ever pay her any mind by telling you she had my child?”

 

    “An overindulgence of wine? She was very drunk,” Thor replied with a slight shrug.

 

    Loki looked down for a moment then turned and walked to his balcony and looked out to his view of the realm. Thor said nothing more, figuring his brother needed a moment to process the information. After a while Loki spoke, eyes still fixed on the horizon. “I suppose you intend to go to Midgard, then?”

 

    “I intend for us to seek her out, yes,” Thor replied, emphasising that he wasn’t planning on going alone.

 

    At that Loki turned to look at him incredulously. “‘Us’?”

 

    “Of course!” Thor replied, as if it were obvious.

 

    “Why?” Loki asked. “Even if I could leave these chambers; why would I come with you?”

 

    Thor looked at Loki like he’d lost his mind. “Because she is your child!”

 

    “Twenty years is hardly a child,” Loki pointed out, “Especially growing up with humans.”

 

    “That is besides the point, Loki,” Thor said in exasperation, “You are still her father.”

 

    “My first father left me to die, and my second one was perfectly content to lie about it for most of my life,” Loki spoke with deceptive calmness and Thor flinched slightly, knowing perfectly well the bitterness and resentment hiding just below the surface, “You’ll forgive me if the title has somewhat lost its meaning to me.”

 

    “So you have no wish to even meet her?” Thor asked, though he had a feeling that wasn’t the source of his brother’s reluctance.

 

    Loki hesitated before replying. “It’s not my wish that counts.”

 

    Thor sighed; he was right, after all. He walked over and placed a hand on Loki’s shoulder reassuringly. “If she harbours any resentment, I’m sure it will not last once things are explained.” He squeezed Loki’s shoulder slightly. “You hold no blame for her abandonment, you had no knowledge of her existence; the fault lies with the Enchantress alone.”

 

    Loki stared at Thor for a moment, trying to decide if he could afford to be as optimistic. The fact was that learning that he had a child, even if it _was_ with Amora, gave him a light feeling inside he hadn’t felt for centuries; he did want to meet her, but he doubted the feeling was mutual. And even if she _was_ curious about the father that hadn’t been there for her entire life; how could she possibly want anything to do with him once she learned who he was, what he’d done?

 

    Instead of voicing any of that, however, Loki chose to simply repeat the less complicated obstacle. “Thor; I’m still very much bound to these walls, in case you have forgotten.”

 

    Thor resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his brother’s obvious stalling. “I will speak with Father. Surely we can reach a compromise; I stand a far better chance of actually finding the girl with you along.”

 

    Loki sighed then reluctantly gestured for Thor to go do that, well aware he wasn’t going to let it go. Thor grinned, clapping his hand on Loki’s shoulder a bit more forcefully than was really necessary, then turned and walked out of the room to find his father with clear purpose in his steps.

 

*****

 

    Ylva had very simple goals for her life: Earn (and keep) a permanent spot within the Avengers, kick Hydra’s ass as thoroughly as possible, and keep her boyfriend, the former Winter Soldier, from losing his grip on reality. And maybe along the way find out who her birth parents were.

 

    She was pretty sure she was doing a decent job on three of those, at least.

 

    Reluctantly crawling out of her bedpartner’s arms, who shifted a bit and mumbled something but didn’t wake, she trudged to the bathroom and went about her morning routine on autopilot. Once out of the shower she walked back into the bedroom and threw on one of Bucky’s t-shirts, forgoing anything else, then walked towards the kitchen, carelessly pushing her long raven hair out of her face and over her shoulders.

 

    She turned the coffee maker on, yawning widely, then wandered over to the fridge to see what she could find for breakfast. There really wasn’t much; a few eggs, some milk, butter, half an apple, and some leftover chinese takeout from two days ago. She kept meaning to go grocery shopping, but it had been a very busy month and more often than not she and Bucky ended up eating elsewhere, so she hadn’t really found the motivation to get around to it.

 

    Blowing her stubborn bangs out of her emerald eyes with an annoyed huff; she grabbed the eggs, milk, and butter and placed them on the counter, closing the fridge with a thought, then grabbed a pan from the cabinet and placed it on the stove, turning it on with a wave of her hand as she turned back to the food. Cracking the eggs into a bowl, she added some milk and whisked them quickly; she absently conjured salt and pepper, and had seasoned the eggs, when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and a face bury itself into the back of her neck.

 

    “Morning,” Ylva greeted with a smile.

 

    “That’s my shirt,” Bucky mumbled sleepily.

 

    “Is it? Huh; imagine that,” Ylva joked.

 

    “I need it,” Bucky continued.

 

    “You have a whole drawer full of ’em, Buck,” Ylva pointed out, playing along.

 

    “I want that one,” Bucky insisted.

 

    Ylva hummed. “What am _I_ supposed to wear then?” She asked playfully.

 

    She felt Bucky smirk against her neck then his hands skimmed up her sides, pulling the shirt up along with them, and she smiled wider.

 

    And then her phone rang.

 

    They both groaned at the interruption, Ylva letting fly a few choice swears, and Bucky stepped back, electing to pour them some coffee as Ylva went to check the caller ID; finding it to be her mother, she frowned slightly and answered it, putting it on speaker and setting it on the counter so she could continue with breakfast.

 

    “Ma; I love you, but your timing sucks,” Ylva huffed; dropping a bit of butter on the now-heated pan.

 

    “Sorry, sweetie,” Her mother replied with a laugh. “Good morning, James,” She added knowingly.

 

    “Mornin’,” Bucky replied, passing the bowl of eggs over to Ylva.

 

    She poured the eggs into the pan. “So, what’s up? I swear; if the house isn’t on fire, I’m hanging up.”

 

    “No,” Her mother laughed, “Just wanted to tell you, you should head to the tower today.”

 

    “Why?” Ylva asked curiously as she stirred.

 

    “No idea.”

 

    “Huh. Awesome,” Ylva said, “Alright; I’ll go after breakfast.”

 

    “Let me know what happens, okay?” Her mother requested.

 

    “Always,” Ylva replied brightly, “Love you!”

 

    Her mother replied in kind and then hung up. Ylva continued with breakfast and Bucky handed her her cup of coffee, loaded with sugar and with just a dash of cream just the way she liked it, and kissed the side of her head before sitting at the counter island in front of the stove with his own cup. When the food was ready she split it between them and, sitting down next to him, they ate in silence.

 

    “So, we’re goin’ to the tower?” Bucky asked, draining the last of his coffee.

 

    “It would seem so,” Ylva replied; scooping the undissolved sugar in her cup into her mouth with her finger, sucking and licking the digit clean with undisguised relish.

 

    Bucky watched her for a moment. “I still want my shirt back.”


	2. Chapter 2

   There were four places that Loki had hoped to never find himself in again as long as he lived; there was Jötunheim for the obvious reasons, Svartalfheim, Asgard’s dungeons... and Midgard. Specifically, a certain tower in Midtown Manhattan that belonged to one Anthony Edward Stark; where he had been repeatedly smashed against the floors by a certain large green rage monster as a careless child tosses a rag doll prior to being apprehended, gagged and chained, and dragged back to Asgard.

 

    So, naturally, that’s _exactly_ where Thor had Heimdall send them.

 

    He wondered sometimes whether his brother was really that oblivious, or just sadistic. As Loki rolled his wrist, picking absently at the cuff Odin had placed on him to limit his seidr only to what he would need to track down his daughter; he looked around the landing pad they stood on, and the city beyond, noting how much had been repaired since the invasion. It was certainly efficient; he had to give credit for that.

 

    “Is there any particular reason we had to come _here_ of all places; or do you simply enjoy torturing me that much?” Loki asked as they began to walk into the building.

 

    “We cannot land just _anywhere_ , Loki; it would be disruptive to the populace,” Thor replied. Loki gave him a look that said ‘Do I look like I care?’, and Thor rolled his eyes with a sigh. “And besides, perhaps the Avengers can help.”

 

    Loki looked at him sceptically. “Even if they could; why would they want to? I tried to kill them.”

 

    “Well, perhaps not...” Thor conceded, “But they would help me. She _is_ my niece, after all.”

 

    “You are annoyingly optimistic; do you know that?” Loki grumbled, and Thor laughed in lieu of response.

 

*****

 

    Stepping out of the shower for the second time that morning; Ylva walked into the bedroom and got dressed, this time in her own clothes consisting of black jeans tucked into a much-worn pair of combat boots, a black t-shirt that read ‘Shirt of Invisibility +1’ in white letters and a grey button-down shirt over it which she left open. Pulling her hair back and tying it into a high ponytail she walked out of the room, slapping Bucky’s ass as he passed her to get dressed.

 

    She walked into the living room and plopped down on the couch with utter lack of grace, unlocking her phone as she adjusted, and began to pass the time until Bucky was ready to go. When said individual walked into the room; he found Ylva staring intently at her phone, tapping the screen every so often.

 

    He stood behind her and leaned to watch over her shoulder. “What’re you doing?”

 

    “Killing the world,” Ylva mumbled absently in reply, not looking up from her phone. Bucky hummed in response, not quite sure what to make of that, and she looked up. “You ready?”

 

    “Yeah.”

 

    Ylva stood, pocketing her phone, then led the way out of the apartment, grabbing Bucky’s jacket from its hook on the coatrack by the front door and tossing it over her shoulder at him.

 

*****

 

   The Avengers, or at least Tony, Clint, and Steve, sat around the table in the meeting room as Thor finished explaining to them the reason for his and Loki’s visit; so far few glares had been sent in the latter’s direction and there had only been one attempt to attack him. Given the history between the archer and himself, Loki hadn’t been surprised by that last one in the least. After a while, Tony broke the tense silence.

 

    “So you’re saying Psycho Killer over there...” He began, pointing at Loki who was standing at the far end of the room leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest and looking completely uninterested, “... Has a kid running around?”

 

    Loki resolutely did _not_ react outwardly, though he did envision several painful ways to murder the man.

 

    “That is so; yes,” Thor replied, ignoring the new nickname given, used as he was to Tony’s character.

 

    “And they haven’t tried to conquer the world?” Clint chimed in, “Not sure I buy it.”

 

    “So this ‘Amora’ told you this; how do you know she was telling the truth?” Steve asked, trying to bring a level of seriousness back to the conversation.

 

    “Because this would bring an association between Loki and herself she would not possibly want,” Thor replied, “She is not overly fond of him.”

 

    “He means that she despises me,” Loki added, speaking up for the first time since they’d arrived into the room, “A sentiment which is entirely mutual.”

 

    “If you hate each other so much, why’d you sleep together?” Clint asked.

 

    Loki shrugged. “I was bored and she was frustrated. One thing led to another, and we never spoke of it again,” He replied simply.

 

    They looked at him oddly then Steve turned to Thor. “So, uh, any idea where to begin looking? Did Amora say anything about where she left the kid?”

 

    “No, but that is another reason why I brought Loki with me,” Thor replied then explained once receiving questioning looks, “He should be able to track her with his magick once close enough to her.”

 

    Suddenly Loki looked up sharply, pushing himself away from the wall, and the others tensed, ready to fight if need be, while Thor only looked concerned.

 

    “There’s no need to look,” Loki said, oblivious to the reaction his simple movement had garnered, “She’s already here.”

 

    As soon as the words passed his lips, Loki crossed the room in quick strides and was out the door while the rest of them rushed to follow. It was only last minute hesitation that allowed him to fall behind the rest as they reached the area where the elevator was; when he was a few feet away he stopped altogether and very nearly walked back the way he came, before the doors opened and two people walked out.

 

*****

 

    As the doors opened, Ylva and Bucky were met by Tony, Clint, and Steve walking towards them, along with two others they didn’t know, looking as though they were on a mission. They exchanged a quick look then stepped out of the elevator, in case the others meant to use it.

 

    As she neared them, Ylva threw her arms in the air and cheerfully greeted them. “What’s up, bitches?”

 

    Behind her, Bucky snorted a bit, shaking his head in amusement. Ylva broke into a run and pounced on Steve, causing him to stumble a few steps back, and hugged him tightly.

 

    “Hey. What are you doing here so early?” Steve asked as he hugged back and set her down.

 

    “No idea! Mom called and told me to come over; so, here I am,” She replied, spreading her arms out wide and bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly. She looked over Steve’s shoulder and spotted Loki standing somewhat awkwardly a ways away. She raised an eyebrow curiously. “Who the heck is that, and why’s he staring at me?”

 

    Thor turned to Loki. “Brother; is this her?”

 

    Loki slowly nodded, not taking his eyes off Ylva.

 

    “Well?” Ylva asked, looking between all of them.

 

    Thor stepped forward. “I am Thor, and this is my brother, Loki. We have... well, we came to look for you. We have recently learned that Loki is your father.”

 

    For a moment Ylva simply blinked at him then looked over at Loki, who was beginning to look nervous. “Huh. Okay, then.”

 

    “That’s it?” Clint blurted out.

 

    Ylva turned to him. “Well, what do you want me to say? I’m processing.”

 

    “We realise this is sudden,” Thor said apologetically. “Take what time you need; there is no hurry.”

 

    “Speak for yourself.” Clint grumbled then glared at Loki and walked out of the room.

 

    “What’s _his_ drama?” Ylva asked, staring after him.

 

    Steve looked between Thor and Loki, not sure how much he wanted to explain, then settled for something vague. “It’s, uh... complicated.”

 

    “Riiiight...” Ylva drawled out. She walked over to stand in front of Loki, having to look up slightly to make up for the four or five inches he had on her, and extended her hand out to him in greeting. “Anyway, hi; I’m Ylva.”

 

    Loki blinked then looked down at her hand and hesitantly reached out and shook it. He looked up at her face again to find her grinning widely and a small, tentative smile found its way to his lips despite himself.

 

*****

 

    After her introduction the Avengers left Ylva and Loki in the lounge to get acquainted; Bucky had left the room last, his eyes lingering on his girlfriend, something Loki did not miss and resolved to ask about later. Conversation flowed a lot more easily than Loki had dared to hope it would, and he quickly learned that Ylva was as eager to get to know him as he was to know her.

 

    “So, you always knew?” Loki asked surprised; he had just asked when she had learned she was adopted.

 

    “Basically; mom told me as soon as I was old enough to know what ‘adopted’ meant,” Ylva replied with a shrug.

 

    Loki hummed then he shifted slightly in his seat and asked the question he had been dreading to. “How _did_ she come by you?”

 

    “She found me in a forest,” Ylva replied noncommittally, sinking back into the couch.

 

    Loki’s expression twitched slightly and for a moment he said nothing, his hands curling into fists on his lap unconsciously. Finally, in a voice that sounded far too calm, he asked, “A forest, you say?”

 

    “That is what I said, yes,” Ylva confirmed.

 

    Loki inhaled sharply through his nose, closing his eyes, and exhaled slowly; when he returned to Asgard, he and Amora where going to have a _conversation_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ylva was playing Plague Inc., btw. That game is disturbingly entertaining considering the end goal.
> 
> Bonus points if you get Tony's reference. ;)


	3. Chapter 3

    The Avengers (and Bucky) stood observing Loki and Ylva talk via a camera in the room, with Thor smiling slightly as he saw how openly his niece welcomed the interaction and how his brother was slowly but surely relaxing; the others were both curious and surprised in varying degrees.

 

    “So; Loki’s kid,” Clint spoke up, “Guess that explains why she’s so strong; being half-Asgardian, half-... uh...”

 

    “Jötunn,” Thor supplied.

 

    “Yeah, that,” Clint finished.

 

    “Now that I look at them side by side; she does resemble him quite a bit. Can’t believe we missed that,” Steve said.

 

    “She has not been here long, has she; else I would have met her before?” Thor asked.

 

    “She’s only been a prospective Avenger for two months,” Steve replied, “Though Bucky and I have known her longer than that.”

 

    “I see. And she proves to be a good addition?” Thor asked, both curious and hopeful.

 

    “She does,” Clint replied, “She’s a good kid, and a helluva fighter.”

 

    Onscreen, Ylva had just said something that made Loki tense and clench his fists. “Guess she just told him where her mom found her,” Tony commented.

 

    Thor gave them a questioning look, and Steve explained, “Middle of a forest.”

 

    “What?!” Thor half-bellowed in indignant anger and disbelief.

 

    “Pretty much our reaction,” Tony chimed, “Told us her mom found her while she was hiking in the woods, wrapped up in a blanket inside a hollow tree.”

 

    “I’m going to have some _words_ with Amora when we return to Asgard,” Thor seethed through half-gritted teeth.

 

    “Assuming Loki doesn’t get to her first,” Tony said, “I would _almost_ feel sorry her if he does.”

 

*****

 

    Back in the lounge, Ylva tried to steer the conversation away from her absent former-mother by asking about Loki’s own parents; which proved to be a mistake, as evidenced by the downright horrified look on her face when Loki gave her a somewhat brief recounting of Odin’s ‘parenting’ skills. He chose to gloss over Laufey, merely mentioning his abandonment as a minor detail in the grand scheme of things, though he had a feeling she’d have questions about that he would have to answer later. When Loki had finished speaking Ylva merely stared at him for a moment, and he began to worry he’d changed her mind about wanting him in her life, until finally she spoke.

 

    “Who the _fuck_ let that guy have kids??” She quite suddenly exclaimed. Loki blinked, not expecting that reaction in the slightest. “No, seriously; what the fuck! Who... who _does_ that? Who does _any_ of that?”

 

    Loki sat there at a loss for words. Nobody had ever outright condemned Odin’s actions (or _in_ actions) as a father before; least of all in _his_ defence. But there she was; the daughter he’d only just met, outraged on his behalf. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; in fact, he felt a sudden intense desire to hug her, which he would give into if he didn’t think it might be awkward.

 

    “Hey; you okay?” Ylva asked in concern, snapping him out of his thoughts.

 

    Loki blinked then replied without thinking. “I would very much like to hug you right now.”

 

    Ylva burst out laughing. “Yeah; I get that a lot. Go for it.”

 

    She shuffled closer to him and opened her arms wide with a grin; Loki smiled a bit and, after some hesitation, leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her. He held her very gently at first, like he was afraid he might break her; then he drew in a shuddering breath and tightened his hold, as though she might disappear otherwise. Ylva smiled sadly and hugged him closer, trying to reassure him that she wasn’t going anywhere. It was the same with Bucky; she often had to remind him that she wasn’t going to just vanish suddenly, that she was there ’til the end and he wasn’t alone.

 

    And so she let Loki hold her for as long as he needed, not saying a word even when she felt the tears begin to soak the shoulder of her shirt.

 

*****

 

    A few hours later, in which there was a bit more conversation where Loki talked about Frigga; Ylva declared she was, in her words, ‘fucking starving’, and so they took a break to get some lunch. Standing from the couch, Ylva fished her phone out of her pocket and quickly typed a message into it as they walked to the elevator before locking it and storing it away again.

 

    She looked up to Loki’s questioning expression and explained. “Just telling mom about you; she really wanted to know what I’d find here.”

 

    “Yes; you mentioned coming here at the request of your mother,” Loki remembered. “How did she know to send you?” He asked curiously.

 

    “She’s psychic,” Ylva replied with a slight shrug, “She just gets these feelings sometimes; things to do, places to go, that sort of thing.”

 

    “But not what you’ll find,” Loki wondered.

 

    “Not usually; no,” Ylva confirmed. “Bugs the hell outta her,” She added with a slight laugh.

 

    Loki breathed a laugh as he let her walk into the elevator before him. “Understandable.”

 

    “Yeah. That’s actually how she found me,” Ylva revealed, pressing the button to their intended floor, “She was travelling then got the sudden urge to go into the woods and came across me.”

 

    “I should very much like to meet her,” Loki said; feeling an intense desire to thank the woman.

 

    Ylva laughed. “Yeah, she’ll wanna meet you, too, I’m sure.”

 

    “Should I be prepared to have objects thrown at me?” Loki joked.

 

    “Hey, I was _not_ that bad!” Ylva cried, placing her hand over her heart in mock indignation, and Loki laughed.

 

    Loki hummed. “Neither was I; until you ask everyone else.”

 

    Ylva snorted and waved dismissively. “Eh; people need a sense of humour.”

 

    “You truly _are_ my daughter,” Loki mused with a mischievous grin.

 

    “I’m getting the impression most people would be worried about that,” Ylva said and Loki’s grin faltered minutely. “Good thing I’m not most people,” She added with a wink and a conspiratorial smile.

 

    Loki chuckled, relaxing again. When the doors opened the others were waiting for them and Ylva ran forward and pounced on Bucky, who seemed to have been expecting it as he caught her easily; Loki’s suspicion was confirmed when they shared a quick kiss as Bucky lowered her back to her feet.

 

    “Get a room,” Tony joked.

 

    Ylva laughed. “Been there, done that. Maybe after lunch.”

 

    “Oversharing,” Steve complained, looking a bit uncomfortable.

 

    Ylva nudged him with her shoulder. “Aw; I’m sorry.”

 

    “No, you’re not,” Steve scoffed.

 

    “No, I’m not,” Ylva laughed.

 

    “Leave ’im alone, Yl; you know he can’t handle that kinda talk,” Bucky teased, elbowing Steve’s ribs playfully.

 

    Steve scoffed again and gave him a shove, earning a laugh from both Bucky and Ylva; Loki watched as his daughter eyed both men fondly, surmising she knew them best.

 

    “If you ladies are done; how ’bout some food? If I have to wait any longer, I might just take a bite out of someone,” Ylva declared.

 

    Tony opened his mouth to respond, but Steve quickly cut him off. “Don’t.”

 

    “You’re no fun.” Tony huffed childishly.

 

    “Oh, I beg to differ...” Ylva supplied with a snigger and a sly look to Bucky, who was trying to keep a straight face.

 

    The others looked between the three of them then Clint spoke up. “Do we wanna know?”

 

    “I thought you were hungry,” Steve quickly said to Ylva before she could say anything more, and she laughed.

 

*****

 

    Lunch proved to be rather uncomfortable for Loki at first as he found himself seated in between Thor and Ylva, who was in turn sitting between himself and the man she’d introduced as her boyfriend. Both men had eyed each other appraisingly at the introduction, clearly trying to gauge how much of a potential threat the other could be, and Loki quickly decided he rather liked Bucky; there was just something about him, a look in his eyes that told of deep personal struggles, that he could relate to.

 

    The same could not be said about the others in the room, though; Barton clearly wanted an excuse to attack him judging from the glares he was sending him, and Stark seemed determined to provide it, taking every chance he could to try to rile him up. Only the captain seemed determined to keep things civil, though Loki knew that was more for Ylva’s sake than his own. Still, he was silently grateful. As for Thor, he spent most of the meal asking Ylva questions; it was obvious the man had been dying to get to know his niece, but he wanted to give Loki the first chance and had known that his brother wouldn’t have opened up half as much had he been in the room.

 

    By the end of the meal things had relaxed quite a bit, mostly due to Ylva having enough of Tony’s teasing of Loki and hurling a piece of bread at him; he’d complained but relented, then commended her aim and joked that she might just replace Clint someday. When the food was gone they all dispersed to continue on with their day, since there was no immediate threat and they were only too happy to be anywhere Loki wasn’t.


End file.
